Colonoscopy?

Question

I have to have a colonoscopy and just have a few questions about the procedure!!
I have heard the preparation is hideous. Is it really that bad?
Also will I be alseep during the procedure?
If not a sleep will I be able to feel everything happening and will my eyes be open?
Do I have to move around during the procedure?
Thanks and please answer ASAP it is in 3 days :)

Answer 1

The procedure for the colonoscopy is no fun for anyone. But is not really that bad. Just an annoyance as you have to keep on running, and I mean RUN FAST, to the toilet. Because the faeces become liquid.
The worst part is drinking all that gunk!

You will be sort of asleep during the procedure. They give a sedative, depends on teh aneathetist to which one. There are 2 they usually use. And a dose of Morphine. So you will feel no pain at all and although your eyes will be slightly open, you are not aware and will usually not remember a thing.

You will not have to move during the procudure. After the first dose of Medazalam they will get you to turn onto your left side. By then you will not care about what's about to happen.
You will have a monitor on to monitor your blood saturation levels and some oxygen through a mask.

It actually takes only between 20 to 30 minutes for the procedure. And you will be awake 10 minutes after that wanting a cup of coffee and a sandwhich.
You may have some stomach pain similar to gas pain afterwards. But tell the nursing staff as they can give you something for it.
Then your on your way home about 1.5 hours after that.

For the rest of the day you should rest.

I am a nurse and I have had them myself.

Answer 2

A colonoscopy is generally a well-tolerated procedure. Most patients are given a sedative and pain medication through an IV that is placed by the nurse before the procedure. Because of these medications, most patients do not experience pain or remember the procedure. You will typically lie on your left side during the procedure, although in some cases, you may be repositioned. Most colonoscopies last 20-30 minutes, and are followed by another 30 minutes in the recovery area. During a colonoscopy, your doctor is carefully inspecting the colon and may remove polyps or take biopsies which involves the painless removal of a small sample of the tissue lining.

Answer 3

I've had several of these, because I had a small cancer and some pre cancerous polyps removed on the first one, so I've gone back for regular check-ups. I dreaded the procedure, but I am so thankful that I had it done, as the polyps and a small tumor were removed early before they had a chance to cause more trouble.

The prep is worse than the procedure. I start cutting back on my food intake two to three days before the test. You will be instructed to drink a laxative to clean out your colon. The stuff tastes bad, but it is bearable. Follow the instructions carefully so you are fully prepped. You don't want to go through all that only to be told that you aren't clean enough!!

You will be given Versad and Demerol, a lovely concoction. You will feel as though you were asleep during the procedure and you will not feel pain. If you do, let the doctor know, and they will give you a little more medication. You will need to stay at the hospital for several hours, until the medication wears off. Someone will need to drive you home, and you will likely feel sleepy and may nap again.

You should not have any pain and will be able to resume your normal diet right away. Good luck on your test. You will not be sorry that you had it done. It may save your life.

Answer 4

you will lie on your left side on the examining table. You will be given pain medication and a moderate sedative to keep you comfortable and help you relax during the exam.. The doctor will then insert a long, flexible, lighted tube into your rectum and slowly guide it into your colon. The tube is called a colonoscope The scope transmits an image of the inside of the colon onto a video screen so the doctor can carefully examine the lining of the colon.A colonoscopy usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. The sedative and pain medicine should keep you from feeling much discomfort during the exam. You may feel some cramping or the sensation of having gas after the procedure is completed, but it usually stops within an hour. You will need to remain at the colonoscopy facility for 1 to 2 hours so the sedative can wear off.

Answer 5

A little info I think should be considered about this drug Versed ( Midazolam ) that is used for Sedation for many medical procedures..Sedation and General Anesthesia are not the same and quite a few people being given Sedation
think they are being given General Anesthesia!

There is simply no good or valid reason to ever purposely induce amnesia during a medical procedure. It is only a recent development in medical thinking that amnesia is somehow a "benefit" to the patient. On occasion some
some patients will remember a bad experience. Forgetting does not mean it did not happen!!
I feel that if people were aware of the effects of this drug they would Opt For Another Drug!
Erasing someones memory of what was done to them is wrong!!
In fact, many people who use Versed for " IV Sedation,Conscious Sedation" Twilight Sedation, during a procedure are Awake For The Entire Procedure but remember nothing, often Believing They Were "Out" the whole time.

Versed (Midazolam) is an amnestic. It is also commonly used for minor procedures like setting broken bones,colonoscopies,endoscopies, dental procedures like extractions,conscious sedation,twilight sleep, so that patients won't remember pain and discomfort.HOWEVER THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THOSE SENSATIONS WILL NOT BE EXPERIENCED!!!!

A note from an anesthesiologist
I agree that using midazolam alone in painful situations is wrong. I've heard people getting colonoscopies and screaming, and maybe they remember, maybe they don't.

A note I got from someone on Yahoo Answers who did have a bad experience..This is very disconcerting... My sister said she heard me screaming from the waiting room but assumed it wasn't me. When we left we heard another female patient screaming. I did a lot of research since your post, thanks so much for the info.

Here is a note from a Dentist Who uses Versed
I've used Versed 1000+ times during oral surgery procedures and I've never had a complaint. It's a miracle drug because it is safe and it causes you to not remember an unpleasant experience. My answer to him is isn't it better to have not experienced the pain than to have forgot it. No wonder you have had no complaints they have no memory of the procedure.....

I feel that giving a drug for amnesia is cruel I would not want it done to me!

A strange development in medical thinking that it's okay for a patient to have
pain as long as they don't remember it and think they slept thru the procedure..


Here is a link for some info

http://www.freehelpforcancer.com/manages-meds/sedation

Answer 6

LOL...My husband is going through the prep RIGHT NOW. His procedure is tomorrow. If your procedure is in three days, I would hope you have been given instructions by now.

The prep varies a little from doctor to doctor, but generally, you do the following: Three days before the procedure, you need to avoid RAW fruits, veggies, and seeds in your diet. The day before the procedure you drink only clear liquids (clear juice, jello, sodas, tea, coffee, broth/boullion, etc.) ALL day and no alcohol. About mid-morning of that day, you take 3 Dulcolax tablets. At noon you mix 1/2 of a medium size bottle of Miralax with an 8 oz bottle of Gatorade (or similar electrolyte drink). Two hours later you mix the other 1/2 of the bottle of Miralax with another 8 oz. bottle of Gatorade. These are strong laxatives, so plan on staying home that day...or at least near a bathroom. Don't be surprised if you are up a lot during the night. One tip...you might want to keep some "baby wipes" handy to sooth your tushie after you go each time. It might get a little irritated before this is over. After midnight, nothing to drink.

Most doctors these days, give you a light sedative so you will doze through the procedure. Consequently, there is very little...if any discomfort. You will wake up quickly afterwards, but plan on having someone drive you home.

Answer 7

the procedure being hideous is a subjective affair.
its not that bad.
it depends on the anaesthesia given to u. But most probably you will be asleep.
You wone have to move around during procedure.
Relax ur mind. Let anxiety go away.

Answer 8

Colonoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the large colon and the distal part of the small bowel with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. It may provide a visual diagnosis (e.g. ulceration, polyps) and grants the opportunity for biopsy or removal of suspected lesions. Virtual colonoscopy, which uses 2D and 3D imagery reconstructed from computed tomography (CT) scans or from nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) scans, is also possible, as a totally non-invasive medical test, although it is not standard and still under investigation regarding its diagnostic abilities. In both cases you will not be asleep and will see everything happening before your eyes.

Answer 9

During a regular colonoscopy, a device called a colonoscope is inserted into the colon. This flexible tool is equipped with a fiberoptic light and a tiny video camera. The image from the camera is projected on a screen for large-scale viewing. However, the camera only provides a view in the direction it is facing . If there is a fold of tissue, the camera may not see the back side of the fold. The third eye is an additional camera that is inserted through the channel in the colonoscope. It extends out through the end of the scope and rotates 180 degrees to point its lens backward. This means there is now a front and back view of any tissue fold. There is no longer any place for polyps to hide. With the additional visibility provided by this “retroscope”, Dr. Berookim can easily see and remove suspicious polyps to ensure that you remain safe from colon cancer.